Apparatus for measuring thermal and other quantities of substances

Abstract

Apparatus for measuring the calorific value and other quantities of combustible substances. The apparatus includes a support structure to which a pressure vessel is mounted. The pressure vessel has a cap which provides access to a combustion chamber within the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel is preferably of a double walled construction and a fluid flowpath is formed between the two walls. During combustion tests the temperature of fluid in the flowpath is monitored. Surrounding the pressure vessel is a temperature loss control means which in the preferred embodiment comprises a water jacket through which water is circulated at constant temperature. The invention extends to a method of measuring thermal quantities of combustible substances as well as to a method of determining the sulphur content of combustible substances.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patents is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for measuring thermal quantities of combustible substances comprising a support structure to which a pressure vessel is mounted in use, the pressure vessel having a closure cap associated therewith which together form a combustion chamber, adapted to receive a sample of the combustivle substance therein, an ignitor element adapted to fire the substance in use, a feed conduit adapted to supply a combustion supportive to the pressure vessel in use, temperature measuring equipment being associated with the pressure vessel and temperature loss control means surrounding at least the major portion of the vessel the temperature of the pressure vessel and temperature loss control means each being controlable to give similar initial temperature for a plurality of tests; and an atomic radiation source and co-operant reading equipment associated therewith through which a sulphur absorbing liquid, located in the pressure vessel during combustion, is passed after combustion has occured in use, said reading equipment adapted to indicate the sulphur content of the sulphur absorbing liquid when the liquid is exposed to the radiation source in use.   
     
     
       2. A method of determining the sulphur content of a combustible substance comprising the steps of: (1) locating a sample of the material in a crucible within a pressure vessel;   (2) locating a small quantity of a sulphur absorbing liquid within the vessel;   (3) pressuring the vessel with a combustion supportive;   (4) igniting the sample by means of an ignitor element;   (5) washing down the inside of the vessel with a second liquid; and   (6) passing the mixture of the two liquids past a radiation source and associated reading apparatus adapted to determine the sulphur content of the mixture, thereby gaining an indication of the sulphur content of the material.   
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sulphur absorbing liquid is sodium carbonate. 
     
     
       4. A calorimeter comprising: a pressure vessel defining a combustion chamber and having a double wall to define a first flow path of predetermined volume around said combustion chamber;   a removable closure cap for said combustion chamber, said closure cap located at a lower end of said pressure vessel and having bayonet locking threads for engagement with co-operant threads formed in said pressure vessel;   an ignitor element adapted to fire a combustible material in said chamber; said ignitor element coupled to said closure cap;   a feed conduit adapted to supply a combustion supportive fluid to said combustion chamber;   temperature measuring means coupled to said pressure vessel;   temperature loss control means having a second flow path therethrough surrounding and spaced apart from at least the major portion of said pressure vessel; said temperature loss control means permitting access to said cap;   a tank for a controlled temperature liquid;   means for circulating liquid through said first and second flow paths at the commencement of each use of the calorimeter to bring the pressure vessel and temperature loss control means to similar initial temperatures; and   means for automatically locking and unlocking said cap and inserting and withdrawing said cap from said pressure vessel.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which said automatic means are pneumatically powered. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 and further including means for automatically feeding samples to be tested onto said cap prior to locking of said cap onto said pressure vessel. 
     
     
       7. A method of determining the sulphur content of a combustible substance comprising the steps of: locating a sample of the material in a crucible within a pressure vessel;   locating a small quantity of a sulphur absorbing liquid within the vessel;   pressuring the vessel with a combustion supportive;   igniting the sample by means of an ignitor element;   washing down the inside of the vessel with a second liquid; and   passing the mixture of the two liquids directly from the pressure vessel past a radiation source and associated reading apparatus adapted to determine the sulphur content of the mixture thereby determining the sulphur content of the material.   
     
     
       8. A calorimeter and sample supply system for sequentially introducing samples into the calorimeter comprising: a calorimeter pressure vessel leaving a downwardly depending opening for receiving a sample therein;   a vertically movable sample inserting ram including an enclosure cap for said opening of said vessel;   means for sequentially supplying samples to said ram and for actuating said ram to sequentially insert a sample upwardly into said vessel and securing said cap to said vessel for use of said calorimeter and subsequently remove the sample and supply the next sample to said vessel; and   said supplying means includes a conveying means for moving a series of samples into the area of said ram for introduction into said vessel.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said enclosure cap is secured by rotation with respect to said vessel and wherein said apparatus further includes means for selectively rotating said ram for securing and releasing said cap to said vessel.